Saturday was definitely filled with a little something for everyone. If you wanted to see a show with fire, crowd involvement, and crowd surfing, twenty-one pilots were for you. If you wanted to see the first-ever Lollapalooza Latino headliner in J Balvin was where you need to be. Or if you just wanted the greatest comedy rock band ever, you could catch Tenacious D.
Saturday was exactly what makes music festivals the absolute best and we loved every minute of it.
twenty-one pilots-
I have a long history of loving this band and you can read all about it here. But this was the largest platform they have ever had. It is crazy to think that in a very short time this band has skyrocketed from small concert halls to the very top of festival lineups. But it takes seconds to understand why their set is one you can not miss.
For nearly 90 minutes the band busted out all their old tricks and included several new ones, including lighting a car on fire in the middle of the stage. This takes some serious courage and it is awesome to see. Their set was filled with their newest hits off their album Trench and several of their classics like “Ride,” “Stressed Out,” and “Trees.” But the power they had over the crowd was the strongest of the festival so far.
Lead singer Tyler Joseph did my absolute favorite thing when he let the crowd be the star of the show. I would guess about 20 percent of the lyrics were sung by the crowd. It was an unbelievable bonding exercise but also a lesson in how massive this band is.
They owned the night and most likely the festival.
Tenacious D-
They battled Satan, they played one of my favorites toys of the ’90s and they gave a lesson to all the fellas of Lollapalooza on how to love a lady. Tenacious D rocked… so hard!
Their set was jam-packed as a greatest hits showcasing spanning their entire discography of 18 years.
Jack Black’s energy and vocals were contagious and so entertaining. Kyle Gass is the greatest sideman and their entire show made the crowd laugh, dance, and rock out!
Gary Clark Jr-
There was a lot more rock going on the other side of the park in a very different, but just as cool way.
Gary Clark Jr embodies all that is cool. His unbelievable guitar skills and soulful voice rock you to your very core. Despite the hot afternoon sun, the crowd was huge for Clark and when he ripped into “Come Together,” it was a massive singalong.
Other Highlights:
J Balvin made history by being the first Latino headliner and he brought the inflatables, the fireworks, and all the fun. Lil Wayne had possibly the biggest daytime crowd of any set I have ever seen and he ripped into his own version of “Old Town Road.” AJR was the most gracious band I have ever seen at Lolla when they ordered Chipotle burritos and distributed them out to the fans in the first two rows.
